Dream the College Scene
by Clarissa Adele Fairchild
Summary: She stumbled over her suitcase, which had somehow gotten caught on something sticking out from the floor. She was on the verge of falling to the ground when very muscular arms shot out and balanced her. Clary would have said thanks, if she'd not been looking at someone she'd never wanted to see again. / ten-shot, AU/AH.
1. plane's up

**[a/n]:** yes, let me start yet _another_ clace fanfic, not like i already have to multi-chaps up. anywho, on the bright side, this fanfic actually has a limit of chapters: 10. so i won't drag this one out to 30 or 40 chapters, yeah?

 **[disclaimer]:** I don't own the mortal instruments but i wish i did.

* * *

 **Dream the College Scene  
** "A girl doesn't need anyone who doesn't need her." -Marilyn Monroe

* * *

"Congratulations, Class of 2008!"

Graduation hats flew into the air, along with a variety of pale or tan, skinny or chubby, lean or muscular outstretched arms as the seniors of the local high school cheered in happiness and excitement over the fact that _they'd just graduated_. Parents of the overzealous kids (basically adults now) were crying, tears streaming down their faces as they shot the final high school pictures of their young adults, trying to capture the last precious moments before their children were shipped of to whatever college had accepted them.

Clarissa Adele Fray's situation was no different. Jocelyn, her mother, Valentine, her father, Jonathan, her brother, and her uncle, Luke and his sister, Amatis, were all standing with the Lightwood family, tearful but joyful faces hidden behind a camera as the light went off, taking a picture of the redheaded graduate. Clary quickly broke away from the majority of the class, walking over to her family.

"I graduated!" she cheered, as if it wasn't already obvious.

Jocelyn and Valentine's faces broke out into grins, and even Jonathan couldn't hold back a proud smile. They enveloped Clary in a four-way hug, everyone thinking about how rare these family moments were. Half the time, Clary and Jonathan couldn't stop arguing long enough to have a civil conversation, much less a mushy moment with the family. But everyone pushed these thoughts back; Clary would be leaving for college in _California_ in less then six hours, and they didn't need to spend time dwelling over past feuds.

"Hey, where's our hug?" Luke Garroway teased, and Clary was the first to break away and give him a huge bear-hug. Amatis was next, her small face bright with happiness.

"You did it!" she said, engulfing Clary in another hug. Clary rolled her eyes but smiled all the while; she loved Amatis like she loved her own mother.

"I can't believe you're going across the United States," Valentine said, dabbing lightly at his eyes with a handkerchief. "Why couldn't you pick a closer college, like NYU?"

Clary laughed lightly. "Because Dad, California has an amazing journalism field, and I really want to go into writing. It'll be great in the long run; I promise!"

"Clarissa!"

Said girl whirled around, smiling hugely at her best friend. Isabelle Lightwood was walking towards Clary as fast as she could, which was pretty fast considering the fact she was in stilettos. Clary met her halfway and hugged her best friend. How she would make it through college without her best friend was beyond her; she could already feel the tears coming, and she sniffed.

"Oh, Clarissa, don't cry now!" Isabelle playfully stuck out her bottom lip. "It's no biggie, really. All it is is me going to Washington, and you California! It's not like I'm staying in New York; at least we'll be in the same timezone!"

Clary laughed through her emotions, tilting her head back to keep the tears from falling. "I'm just going to miss you! I won't have anyone at San Francisco University who will wake up me up in the mornings by bribing me with Starbucks or anyone who will bluntly tell me I look like shit!"

Isabelle laughed, hugging Clary again. "Oh, Clarissa, it'll be okay." Isabelle never called Clary by her nickname. "There are all kinds of people in college who will tell you when you look like you came out of a dog's behind, and your roommate will eventually get sick and tired of hearing your stupid alarm go off so she'l wake you up just as forcefully!" Isabelle waved it off like she was batting a fly away. "It'll be fine; don't stress!"

Clary rolled her eyes but smile. Why waste her last six hours with her friends and family being emotionally distressed because she wouldn't have her best friend with her during college? It wasn't worth it.

"Come on; let's go get Alec. You know our families, they're _dying_ to get pictures before we leave." Isabelle hooked her arm with Clary's for what felt like the final time. "And besides, don't be so down about it. We still have to go home and help each other pack."

Clary grinned. At least she would have a couple more hours with her best friend before they parted ways.

* * *

"College is _so_ difficult to pack for," Isabelle complained, throwing all her clothes haphazardly into her suitcases. Clary laughed as she placed all of Isabelle's inanimate objects in large suitcases (for the plane); pictures from the time they went to Florida, family portraits Maryse insisted the Lightwood family do, Isabelle's large collection of books, and a bunch of other little things.

"I told you we should have packed yesterday," Clary said again, for what felt like the fiftieth time. It was Isabelle's idea to wait until the day of their graduation to pack. Clary glanced at the time; four fifty-two. She was getting a little anxious; her plane was schedule to board at six-thirty, and they still had half of Isabelle's room to pack, plus the thirty minute drive to get there, and all the security regulations.

"Clarissa, I see you checking the time," Isabelle said, zipping her final suitcase shut. She rolled it off the bed and onto the floor, next to three other suitcases that contained an assortment of clothes, makeup, jewelry, and shoes. "You'll board your plane on time; just relax. All we have to do is put my computer into a box, pack up my bedding and my rug, and get everything out to the car."

Sometimes, Isabelle's carefree attitude bothered Clary.

It took ten minutes for the girls (plus Alec- he came out to help after getting tired of all the grunting and groaning in the hallway) to get everything out to the car. Both families came outside, once again, to see the girls off. Clary had separate hugs with each of her family members, getting different comments each time ("Stay safe!"-"Do _not_ get pregnant during college, I'll kill the boy responsible, and I will beat you ass. Love you though!"-"Please don't be that one annoying freshman.").

Oh, the Fray family.

After what felt like an hour of promises to stay safe and promises to call everyday, Isabelle and Clary were finally in her Jeep, driving away from the street where they'd grown up all their childhood lives.

"When do your classes start?" Isabelle asked, making conversation.

"Monday, I think." That gave Clary three days to unpack, get situated, and get used to the campus. One day for each; not too bad.

"Ew, mine don't start till next Thursday!" Isabelle boasted. Clary rolled her eyes but laughed. Lucky Isabelle. The girls were quiet for a long portion of the ride, listening to the music on the radio and eyeing the traffic around the airport.

"You better call me and text me and Facetime me every day," Isabelle said, when she parked her car in the parking lot. Maryse said eventually she would have Alec and Magnus drive up to come take her car back home. It took a lot of convincing before Maryse finally gave Isabelle's consent to drive up with Clary.

"Thank god for these," Clary said, unloading her bag onto the baggage cart. She was lucky she wasn't like Isabelle; she only needed one cart, whereas Isabelle needed two and had to difficultly maneuver them through the busy parking lot. They weren't the only ones heading off to college.

"I hate airports," Isabelle grumbled, when they got inside the busy building. People were running or walking this way or that, and it was frustrating to have to look around for where to go.

"I'm Gate 37, what are you?" Clary asked, over the noise of the people in the airport.

Relief washed over Isabelle's face. "Thank God, I'm Gate 38." They began to push their carts in the directions of the gates, saying "Excuse me" and "Pardon me" to almost every person they passed. When they finally got to their gates, they went through security. It took Isabelle longer because she had more things that needed to be checked, but when they were finally through security, both girls only held their cell phones and carry-on bags; their suitcases were with the rest of the cargo.

"When does your flight board?" Isabelle ask, heading towards the nearest Starbucks and ordering a coffee. Clary asked for a coffee and a scone.

"In twenty minutes." There was an ache growing in her stomach again. She would miss Isabelle.

"Mine boards in forty minutes, which isn't that bad of a wait." Isabelle halfheartedly gave a smile; she was never good with emotions. "You'll have to text me when you get on the plane, when you get off the plane, when you get your rental car, when you get to your hotel, when you-"

Clary laughed, interrupting Isabelle's rant. "Isabelle, I got it- I'll text you until I fall asleep. You better do the same for me!"

Isabelle took a sip from her coffee. "Clarissa, you know me; I'll be that one girl automatically turning my phone on airplane mode just so I could text you." They both sat in the waiting area near their gates, drinking coffee and discussing college.

"Your orientation day is tomorrow, right?" Isabelle asked. The way she was asking questions implied that she hadn't listened to Clary ramble once about San Francisco University, but it didn't bother Clary.

"Yep. Starts at nine am and goes until five." Clary drank from her straw, thinking about how tomorrow would work. "What should I wear?"

Isabelle pondered for a minute before giving an answer. "What's the weather in San Francisco around this time, cool and breezy? I say wear skinny jeans, a San Francisco T-shirt, and matching Vans." Isabelle smiled in finality.

Clary grinned. "Perfect, sounds amazing with the weather. When's your orientation?"

"Monday." Isabelle sighed. "I'll have to go find a Washington State shirt, and some shorts. It's apparently eighty degrees around this time, I can't believe it's cool down in San Francisco. Maybe we're wrong and it's actually ninety degrees there; make sure you pack some shorts."

Clary laughed. "Of course I will." Clary smirked. "But hey, you better let me know if you find a cute boy you like. Just because we aren't in high school anymore doesn't mean we can't freak out over cute boys."

Isabelle grinned. "Okay, Clarissa, but if I found out that you have a little college fling with a guy and I don't find out, I will drive down to San Francisco and beat your ass. All out of kindness, of course."

The redhead faked a glare, then laughed again. They finished their coffees and began to discuss possible dates when they could get together. Isabelle promised that she and Clary could head back home for Thanksgiving and Christmas on the same flight and spend it with their families, and Clary promised that she would clear her schedule so both of them could fly back for New Years Eve and watch the ball drop. They were in the midst of planning weekend getaways when the call Clary was both dreading and looking forward to was made.

"Flight 472, please begin to board at Gate 37."

Clary felt her emotions acting up again as she and Isabelle stood together and embraced in a tight hug. Clary didn't want to let go; she had a feeling it would be her last hug with Isabelle for a long time.

"I'll miss skipping down the hallways and singing random songs from Broadway," Clary said, when they broke apart. Her green eyes began to tear up, and she was positive she saw Isabelle's own eyes do the same.

"I'll miss standing on chairs during lunch and acting out famous scenes from romance films," Isabelle choked out, trying to laugh through the pain of parting from her best friend. Both girls hugged one more time before Clary shouldered her carry-on bag and walked towards the gate. She handed the lady behind the podium her ticket, then stepped into the tunnel that led to her plane.

Despite the amounts of people pushing past her to get to the plane and find their seats, Clary turned around one last time to wave goodbye to her best friend.

* * *

 **[a/n]:** in the next chapter, Clary goes to orientation, and meets someone she thought she'd gotten rid of a long time ago. bet ya can't guess who it is! :P  
 **drop a review?**

 **xoxo  
**.p


	2. arms out body up

**[a/n]:** so many follows already, amazing! :) by the way, i know most colleges start during the fall, but for this story let's say they start in summer.  
 **[disclaimer]:** i don't own the mortal instruments, darn.

* * *

 **Dream the College Scene  
** "Give a girl the right shoes and she can conquer the world." -Marilyn Monroe

* * *

Clary parked her car in the parking lot of the first dorm building. She looked around, and although it was only nine thirty and move-in day had just started thirty minutes ago, the campus was filled with future students walking around and moving their boxes and suitcases towards their dorms. In a couple minutes, Clary would be a part of that crowd.

She opened her trunk and pulled out the biggest suitcase. Inside were her clothes and shoes, and it was probably the heaviest. She shut the trunk and pocketed her keys, knowing she would be back and forth for a good while. She started wheeling the suitcase through the parking lot and towards the dorms, avoiding cars and people.

Clary got her room information in the mail, along with the packet of information for orientation day. She was on Floor 3, Room 3187A, and she would have two roommates: Helen Blackthorn and Maia Roberts. Hopefully they could all work out some sort of rules for the dorms; she didn't want to deal with one girl constantly having people over while another throws her stuff around.

When Clary got to her room, on the door was a board with three names printed out in fancy lettering. Clary's was first, then Helen's, then Maia's. Clary pulled her key out at the same time her phone started vibrating in her back pocket. She dropped the key as she fumbled for her phone; Isabelle was already calling. Clary bent down and picked up her key while she pressed 'Accept'.

"Hey Isabelle," Clary said, unlocking her door and pushing it open. She wheeled her bag in and took in the room.

When she first walked in, there was a small but nice sized living room. On the wall was a plasma screen TV, and there was a black couch facing it, two arm chairs propped diagonal towards the clear coffee table a foot or two in front of the couch. Past the living room, on the back wall, were three doors that were cracked open, and Clary could see that all of them were vacant. She decided to take the one in the middle, opening the door and laying her suitcase on the bed to signal that her room was taken.

"Hello Clarissa," Isabelle spoke. "How's the campus?"

"It's great," Clary said. From what she'd seen, the campus actually wasn't bad. She had yet to see the library, coffee shop or the dining hall, but she would find all those attractions after she packed.

"I wish I was going to college as early as you," Isabelle admitted, instead of gloating about her orientation date. "It's so boring waiting around here at the hotel. At least you're meeting people."

Clary, back at her car, pulled out two medium-sized suitcases, trying to ignore the fact that she still had three more suitcases to wheel in. Isabelle and Clary conversed while Clary walked back and forth between her room and her car, and Clary had just pulled the final suitcase out of her trunk and had shut the door when Isabelle said she had to go.

"I promised mom I'd Facetime her, so I better get to doing that or she'll fly out here and personally kick my ass." Isabelle laughed before hanging up, and Clary tucked her phone into her back pocket with a smile.

Clary made sure her car was locked before pushing her final suitcase towards the dorms. She was getting pretty good at maneuvering through people, half of them too busy or engrossed into their own personal lives to even act like they saw her. However, Clary's smoothness was interrupted on the third floor when she was three doors down from her room.

Her suitcase halted suddenly, and she stumbled over her suitcase, which had somehow gotten caught on something sticking out from the floor. She was on the verge of falling to the ground when very muscular arms shot out and balance her. Clary would have said thanks, if she'd not been looking at someone she'd never wanted to see again.

He raised an eyebrow as Clary's mouth popped open. "You're welcome, Clary."

"What are you doing here?" she snapped, skipping the pleasantries and heading straight into hostile mode. _Just_ when she thought she'd severed all ties from him, and he had to show up _here_?

"I go here," Jace Herondale said, like it should be obvious. "Room 3189A ring a bell?"

Clary didn't bother to hide her groan. Not only would they be going to the same classes or that they were on the same floor, he was her _god damn neighbor_.

"I don't see why you're being so rude," Jace said, folding his arms defiantly. "I think a 'Thank you' is in order, I did just keep you from falling."

Clary glared at Jace with all the anger she'd kept pent up for the past year and a half. "Go to hell, Jace. In fact, you want a thank you so badly? _Thank you_ for ruining my life junior year. _Thank you_ for cheating on me with some slut that you just couldn't _wait_ to get your hands on. _Thank you_ for letting me walk in on you basically having sex with her. _Thank you_ so much Jace."

Jace's gaze softened and he looked hurt. "Clary, I told you, I'm-"

"You're sorry, I know." But Clary's tone suggested she didn't believe him at all. "Just leave me alone Jace, I have more important things to attend to." She grabbed her suitcase and pushed it away, not breathing until she'd stepped into her room and closed the door.

* * *

Clary all but threw her suitcase into her room. Frustrated and not in the mood to unpack, she stomped into the living room and grabbed a cool bottle of water from the mini-fridge that was a part of the shelf beneath the TV. She gulped down half the bottle, loving the feeling of the cool water filling her empty stomach.

"...Jordan, will you shut up for a second?" a girl said from the doorway of the dorm. Clary turned around to see one of the prettiest girls she'd ever seen.

The girl was had light brown skin, and long, golden brown hair tied tightly in two French braids. She was wearing a slightly over-sized Washington hoodie, black cutoffs, and thick combat boots. She was pulling a large black suitcase behind her with one hand, while she pressed her cell phone against her ear with the other.

She smiled, showing a pair of pearly white teeth. She stopped behind the arm chair, gesturing for Clary to wait a minute. Clary shrugged and drank more of her water; not like she was going anywhere.

"Babe, I have to unpack." So whoever this Jordan guy was, apparently he was dating her. Clary wasn't surprised; a girl like her _has_ to be taken.

She laughed, the sound ringing out like church bells. "I'll tell you my room number _after_ I talk to my roommates; the last thing I need to do is piss off the people I'll be living with all year because _you_ want to come see me." She laughed again. "Okay, love you Jordan." She hung up the phone and looked at Clary with a radiant smile.

"Hi!" she said, walking out from behind the armchair and hugging Clary. "I'm Maia! Are you Clary or Helen?"

Clary smiled. "I'm Clary, nice to meet you! Was that your boyfriend on the floor or?"

Maia nodded, her eyes lighting up at the topic of her boyfriend. "Yeah, his name is Jordan Kyle and he is just amazing. He wanted to come over and help unpack, but I told him no just in case you or Helen had an problems with it."

"I won't have any problems with it, but I can't say anything for Helen. Who, by the way, has yet to show-"

"No, no, no, I'm here!" The final girl burst into the room, carrying a box marked 'Decorations' and smiling widely. She had pale blonde hair so light it was almost white, and it was pulled back in a curly ponytail. She was wearing a Washington T-shirt, black sweatpants, and a pair of running shoes.

"I'm assuming you're Helen?" Maia said, turning to face the third girl. "If you aren't, I'm going to have to ask you why you're in our room."

She laughed. "I'm Helen, the third and final roommate. Are you two Maia and Clary?" Both girls nodded.

"I'm Clary," she introduced for the second time that morning.

"Maia."

"Nice to meet you." Helen smiled. "Okay, so do you girls want to unpack and go get lunch in the dining hall? My girlfriend said-"

"Girlfriend?" Maia interrupted. Then, probably seeing how rudely she sound, blushed. "I mean, sorry to interrupt, it's just- not that I have anything against you, I just-"

Helen waved her off. "It's okay, I probably threw you off guard. I'm gay, and don't worry, I won't hit on either one of you; you guys are too pretty to be single, am I right?"

Clary laughed awkwardly while Maia nodded her head. "Taken," she confirmed.

Thankfully, Helen went back to talking about lunch and didn't notice Clary's silence. "My girlfriend, Aline Penhallow, said the food here is to die for, so I figured we could all head to lunch."

Maia's phone vibrated, and she read whatever popped along the screen. "Can my boyfriend and his roommate come? They've finished unpacking already."

"They can come over now," Clary suggested. "We could all use the extra help."

Helen smiled, picking up her box again. "Sure, but Maia, if it's alright with you, I want the room in the farthest corner; I love the view."

"Go ahead, Helen." Maia smiled and began to drag her suitcase back to her room, calling Jordan and telling him he could come over. Clary had just walked into her room when there was a knock at the door. She jumped, startled. Didn't she _just_ call him?

"Knock knock," a voice rang out, echoing through the rooms. Maia walked out of her room and smiled, and Clary saw the boy's face light up at the sight of his girlfriend.

Jordan had a skin color similar to Maia's, and long dark hair that tumbled onto his forehead and curled around his neck. He had startling green eyes that Clary noticed even from her doorway. He had a tall, lean figure with slight muscle on his arms. He was wearing a black V-neck shirt, black jeans that hung on his hips, and shoes.

But the boy that really got Clary's attention was standing right behind Jordan.

"Oh _God_ ," Clary snapped, turning around and walking back into her room. She heard footsteps through the dorm, and she took a deep breath before turning around.

"Well, didn't realize we were neighbors," Jace said, an easy smirk falling onto his face. "Happy coincidence, is it not?"

"Go to Hell," Clary snarled, unzipping her suitcase and pulling out her shirts. She avoided looking into his eyes; they always got her.

"That's pretty harsh," Jace joked, leaning against her door frame. "I heard we're going to lunch, it'll be like a triple date."

Clary faltered slightly with her shirt, but resumed hanging them on hangers. "Jace, I will never go on another date with you. Even if the world depended on it." She didn't care how much her words hurt him; he'd hurt her more then he'd ever had.

"Clary," Jace said. He said it again, and this time she whipped her head up, her green eyes glaring fiercely at him.

"What?" she asked, her voice low and icy.

"Please don't be this way," he pleaded, and Clary could see the hurt and anger in his eyes. "I'm sorry for what I did, I know now that it was a horrible thing to do." He ran a hand through his hair, the hair Clary used to run her fingers through ever day. "I miss you so much, Clary. I hated myself after what I did to you, and I still haven't forgiven myself."

"That sounds like a you problem," Clary said, this time with a lot less force and anger. "And there's nothing I can do about that. You cheated on me Jace, which means I was off your mind long enough for you to go kiss and touch another girl. For a while, I wasn't the most important thing to you."

"But you're important to me, Clary," Jace defended. "I still love-"

"Don't," Clary interrupted, this time sounding hurt. "Don't say it. You'll say it, and I'll believe you, and then you'll do something stupid to mess it all up again. I don't have the time or the emotional stability to go through that again, Jace."

"You have to know I still love you," Jace mumbled, stepping farther into the room. Clary had stopped unpacking a couple minutes ago, towards the start of their conversation. "You have to know that I never stopped loving you."

Clary rolled her eyes. "Yeah, you must have really loved me when you were kissing Kaelie."

"Clary," Jace said, looking at her. "Stop. I love you, and you know, deep down, you know. Why won't you just believe me?"

"I-"

"Sorry to interrupt whatever is going on here," Helen said, from the doorway, completely oblivious of the argument they were having. "But it's going on eleven o'clock, and Jordan and Maia are getting hungry. You two want to head out now or meet us there?"

Ignoring the look on Jace's face, Clary grabbed her meal card and her phone. "We can go now." She walked pass Jace for the second time that day, not looking back to see the hurt expression on his face.

* * *

 **[a/n]:** if you have any concerns/gripes/moans/groans/grievances, you should definitely review below. not going to lie; they do give me the urge to update faster!  
 **drop a review?**

 **xoxo  
**.p


	3. i hate when you walk away

**[a/n]:** your reviews motivate me to update faster and y'all's reviews were the sweetest, so here I am.  
 **[disclaimer]:** own nothing but the plot.

* * *

 **Dream the College Scene  
** "All a girl really wants is for one guy to prove to her that they're not all the same." -Marilyn Monroe

* * *

Lunch was awkward, to say the very least. With Jordan and Maia fawning over each other and whispering sweet nothings into each other's ears every other bite of food and with Aline and Helen (although very cute) holding hands and laughing and leaning onto each other, touching heads and lips together, Clary wanted nothing more then to leave the dining hall.

Jace smirked at her from across the table, his hurt from her words masked by a cool facade. "This would probably be ten times less awkward if we weren't so hostile with each other." He shrugged, taking a bite of his spaghetti. Clary inwardly shuddered; she hated spaghetti.

"This would be ten times better if you weren't going to this school, if you hadn't cheated on me, and if you stopped talking to me," Clary snapped, keeping her voice low so none of the others heard their bantering. Not like they would hard Clary either way; Maia and Jordan were too engrossed with their conversation and Aline and Helen were too engaged in a who-can-be-cuter contest.

Jace stuck out his bottom lip, reminding Clary of his younger brother, Max. "I don't know why you hate me so much." Jace's hand flew up, pausing Clary from speaking. "I mean, I've apologized multiple times, I've been nothing but nice to you since you go there, and let's keep in mind, _I did keep you from falling_."

Clary took a deep breath, her head lolling to the side as she contemplated what she would say next. "Jace, just because you kept me from falling _doesn't_ mean we're friends again. That doesn't make up for cheating on me and abandoning me the next day!"

"I didn't abandon you," Jace snarled, showing the first sign of complete anger since Clary had seen him. "I left because I felt so damn bad that I couldn't bear to face you again. Call me selfish, but I hated myself and didn't want to deal with you hating me too."

Clary faltered. What he was saying couldn't be true, could it? She shook her head, slightly. She couldn't let him get to her, not again.

"Whatever Jace." Clary wiped her hands on her napkin and stood up to go. Finally, her two roommates were turning to face her.

"Where are you going Clary?" Maia asked at the same time Helen said "Are you okay?"

Clary faked a smile. "I'm fine, I'm going to head back to the dorms to continue unpacking." When the girls started to stand up, Clary waved them off. "No, no, stay here and finish eating, I'll be alright. Besides, you guys all deserve to have a break."

"Okay, we'll see you when we get back to the dorms, yeah?" Helen smiled, her teeth brighter than her hair.

Clary nodded and waved goodbye, turning around and walking out of the dining hall. When she was outside, she shivered slightly, the wind rushing over her bare arms. She folded her arms and looked down at the ground, easily avoiding passing people.

"Clary!"

She paused, the call for her sounding so familiar and normal that her heart started beating quickly. She turned around to see Jace walking towards her. Annoyance flared up inside her chest; why couldn't he leave her alone?

"I come in peace," he joke, holding something out in his hand. When she peered closer, she saw it was her meal card. "You left it on the table. Oh-" he reached into his pocket and pulled out something shiny "and this." It was her room key. She was leaving stuff everywhere.

"Thanks," she mumbled, ignoring how warm his hands were and how her arm tingled at his touch. She shoved both items into the back of her jeans and turned to walk away.

"Are you cold?" Jace asked, jogging to catch up with her. She rolled her eyes and didn't respond.

"If you're cold you can take my jacket," Jace offered, still walking by her side.

Clary shook her head, although she was freezing. Although it was about sixty degrees, it was windy and cloudy. It was probably going to rain later, and Clary wanted to be comfortable in her room before that happened. She hated thunderstorms with a burning passion; they terrified her.

"Clary." She didn't have time to respond before his worn leather jacket was draped over her shoulders. By this point, her teeth were chattering and anything she said would fool Jace out of giving her his jacket. It was a little big on her, and it laid on her like Maia's over-sized hoodie did. She shrugged her arms through the jacket, the warmth from his body heat heating her arms and making her feel better.

"It's going to rain later," he mumbled, shoving his hands into his pockets. He looked at the sky, taking in the moving clouds. They were darker over the horizon, and Jace knew it would be a big one.

Clary shrugged, as if it didn't bother her. "I'll be okay." Clary bit her lip, a sure sign she was lying.

He acted like he didn't see her, but he knew she was worried. "Okay." They were coming up on the dorms, and Clary secretly hoped that Jace would forget she was wearing his jacket. She internally yelled at herself for thinking that; she's supposed to be mad at him!

They walked silently the rest of the way, not talking until they were standing outside Jace's room. The door to his room was cracked open, so he didn't need a key. He smiled shyly at Clary, making her heart race. It was the smile she fell in love with.

"I'll see you another time, Clary," he said, quietly. She blushed and waved, walking down the hallway towards her room; for the third time that day, she didn't turn back. She unlocked the door, stepped inside, and pressed her back against the door, tightening her arms around her midsection. She breathed in his scent, wanting nothing more then for him to hold her in his arms. She sighed, frustration creeping into her head.

She _didn't_ like Jace. She _didn't_ like Jace. She...

* * *

Jace watched her slip into her room, her red hair flying after her. When he heard the click of the door, he stepped into his own dorm. He cracked the door instead of shutting it; Jordan said it was because he didn't want to deal with the constant work of pulling out his key, but Jace knew it was because he wanted Maia to be able to slip in and out with ease.

He sighed, thinking about his roommate and his girlfriend. As much as Jace hated to admit it, he was a little jealous of their relationship. If he hadn't been so _stupid_ he would probably still have Clary in his arms. He flinched at the crack of thunder; the storm seemed like it would be pretty bad, and Jace knew how she was with storms. At least she had his jacket; maybe it would help her through the night.

Jace shivered, shrugging on a random hoodie and changing into sweatpants. He sunk into the couch and turned on the TV, flipping carelessly through the guide. Nothing good was on, so Jace randomly picked out a comedy movie. He doesn't remember falling asleep, and it isn't until his roommate is shaking him awake that Jace even realizes he fell asleep.

"Tired?" Jordan teased, popping open his can of soda. "I've been trying to wake up up for the past ten minutes."

Jace grinned tiredly, rubbing his eyes with the heels of his hands. He stood up and stretched, standing to his full height and extending his arms. When he was done, he looked out the window. It was raining.

"When did it start raining?" Jace asked, walking towards the window and looking out. The rain was coming down at a heavy slant, sheets of the rain getting blown around because of the strong wind. Lightning cracked and thunder boomed, causing Jace to cringe lightly. Clary...

"About two hours ago, it's amazing you slept through it." Jordan sat in the armchair, texting someone on his phone. Probably Maia.

Jace shrugged. "Who you texting?" he asked, opting to change the conversation.

"Maia." Jordan looked up at Jace, blushing slightly. "Hey, is it okay if Maia comes over a little bit? She said Helen was still out with Aline and Clary said she didn't need help unpacking so..."

Jace grinned. "She can come over, I really don't care when she comes over or how long she hangs out." Jace paused, then said, "But if y'all are ever going to, erm, _fuck_ , please let me know so I can make an arrangement."

Jordan laughed at Jace's profanity but nodded. "Sure, I got you. Thanks though."

Jace smiled and walked back into his room. He was in the midst of pushing his suitcase under his bed when it hit him; Clary would be alone during the thunderstorm. Call him selfish, but this was exactly what Jace had been hoping for. He needed to talk to Clary, and he had the sneaking suspicion that she would be easier to talk to when the thunderstorm was happening.

Jace exchanged his sweatpants for the same pair of jeans he wore earlier, and slipped on a pair of shoes. He grabbed his phone and ran a hand through his hair before stepping out of his room and closing the door. Maia was already in their dorm, wrapped in Jordan's arms in the armchair. Maia smiled at Jace when he walked into the living room.

"Hey Jace," she greeted warmly.

Jace waved but opted to stay silent. He grabbed their room key from the coffee table, mumbled to Jordan that he would be back later, and quickly stepped into the hallway. It was dark in the hallway; Jace looked at the time on his phone. Seven thirty. Jesus, how long did he sleep for?

Jace knocked lightly on the door to Clary's dorm room, praying she would open up. After a couple minutes of waiting, the door opened to reveal a tired-looking Clary. Her hair was matted down on one side and her clothes were wrinkly. Her normally eccentric green eyes were dull with tiredness. She looked beautiful.

"Hi Jace," she slurred, opening the door wider and letting him step through. He proudly took into account that she was still wearing his leather jacket. He looked around their dorm room; it was different from his own, except they had three bedrooms and Jace's room had two.

"Were you sleeping?" Jace asked, as Clary shut the door and stepped into the living room. She reached into the mini-fridge beneath the TV and pulled out a water, gulping half of it down before answering.

"Yeah, I was tired." She rubbed her eyes and blinked, unaware of how Jace's feelings for her were growing. She was so damn cute all the freaking time.

"How have you been?" Jace asked, referring to the storm.

Clary shrugged, adverting her eyes and sliding into the armchair. "I've been okay, I ended up falling asleep in my bed so I haven't heard most of the storm." She chuckled. "I guess your jacket helps."

Jace smiled, but inside he was jumping around with happiness. He still had a chance. "That's good. You can keep it longer, if you want. I won't need it."

Clary smiled shyly, causing Jace to grin again. She was so cute when she smiled.

"You can sit down, you know," Clary said, raising an eyebrow. He furrowed his own, then realized he was still standing. He walked to the couch, sitting down with ease. He kicked his shoes off and rested them on the opposite end of the couch, feeling right at home is her dorm. Clary laughed quietly at the sight of his relaxation.

"What do you want to do?" Clary asked, sipping more of her water.

Jace was surprised Clary hadn't kicked him out yet. He wanted desperately to talk to her about everything that's been going on, but he knew one wrong move and he'd be sent back to square one.

He shrugged nonchalantly. "We could talk, or we could watch a movie." He pondered this for a second, then said, "No, never mind. There won't be anything good on TV."

Clary smiled. "What do you want to talk about then?"

Jace sobered up. "Uh, I'm pretty sure what I want to talk about isn't what you want to talk about."

Clary shrugged, the smile falling from her face as she set the water on the table. "There's no avoiding it. We'll have to talk about it sooner or later." She sank back into the armchair, and Jace noticed how she discreetly tightened his jacket around her. "I guess now would be a good time, since we're actually talking to each other."

Jace sighed. "What do you want to know?"

"I want to know why you did it," Clary said, her voice cracking slightly. "You say you love me, but you easily attached to Kaelie as if we weren't even dating. It's like I was something you could toss around no matter what."

Jace sat up, looking at Clary. Her green eyes displayed hurt and anger, and Jace hated that he was the reason she felt that way. He owed her the truth, and nothing but the truth. He took a deep breath.

"What happened was..."

* * *

 **[a/n]:** mua ha ha! couldn't resist a little cliffhanger for my readers, no? you love me. (:  
but hey, if you review, i'll definitely update a lot quicker. *wink wink nudge nudge*  
 **drop a review?**

 **6 review = my update**

 **xx**

(side note: I MADE THE VARSITY VOLLEYBALL AT MY HIGH SCHOOL & I'M ONLY A FRESHMAN, I'M SO FREAKING HAPPY! one of my friends made it too & she's a freshman, it's literally _amazing_ , i'm so happy about it!)


	4. kiss me fiercely

**[a/n]:** holy crap i asked for 6 reviews  & you guys gave me twenty omg i love you guys & thank you so much for the congratulations on the varsity i'm so happy guys aw you guys make me so happy.  
 **[disclaimer]:** don't own characters.

* * *

 **Dream the College Scene  
** "A wise girl kisses but doesn't love, listens but doesn't believe, and leaves before they are left." -Marilyn Monroe

* * *

Clary looked away from Jace, trying to ignore his hand. It was snaking up her neck, cupping her cheek in his hand. She wanted so badly to fall into it, to go back to Jace and to be happy again. She looked down at her hands, which were laying in her lap. She focused on them as much as possible, which prove difficult considering the fact that her eyes were tearing up.

"Clary," Jace whispered, his voice cracking. He wanted so badly for her to forgive him. He wanted so badly for her to love him again.

"I..."

 **...then...**

 _Jace slid into the classroom, shutting the door quietly and turning on the light. He was supposed to be having lunch with Clary, but he told her he would come to lunch a little late. Kaelie said she had something very important to tell him and it had to do with Clary. He normally ignored Kaelie, because he (along with all of his friends) thought she was a slut and a bitch. However, Kaelie never talked to Jace about Clary, so he wanted to see what she was talking about._

 _"Hey babe," a voice crooned behind him. He didn't jump, but his heart did race faster. If she was here to talk about Clary, why was she talking like she wanted to get with him?_

 _"What do you want, Kaelie?" Jace snapped, turning around._

 _Kaelie wasn't ugly, but she was no Clary. She had what would be a considerably pretty face if she didn't cake it with makeup everyday. Her hair was long and brown, but there was so much product in it that Jace was convinced it was as hard as a rock. Her clothes were what a hooker would wear; skintight leather jeans that were a size too small, a crop top so small it could be considered a bra, and stilettos that even Isabelle deemed too high. She was, in short, a slut._

 _Kaelie pouted. "Jacey, that's not way to treat-"_

 _"Save it, slut," Jace snapped. "I didn't come here to be your new boy toy, I don't like you, I can't stomach you. I came here because you said something about Clary and I care about her and I want to know what that is."_

 _She smirked, her lips curling into something uglier than Medusa. "See, babe, if I were to tell you that Clary is, let's say, cheating on you, would you believe me?"_

 _"Not for a second." Jace folded his arms. Why was Kaelie, Seelie's little minion, telling Jace that his girlfriend cheated on her? He ignored the pit in her stomach; this wasn't the first time he heard it. Seelie told him yesterday, and Maureen hinted at it the day before. It wasn't true..._

 _Was it?_

 _Kaelie walked closer to Jace, who in turned, stepped farther away. Kaelie walked closer and closer until he was backed against the wall. He refrained from pushing her away from him; she was a girl and Jace would never physically hurt a girl. As long as she didn't try anything, there wouldn't be a problem._

 _"Oh, but she is cheating on you," Kaelie cooed, her hand running up his stomach and chest. "I just saw her, she was making out with some boy in the hallway. She looked pretty into it, if you ask me."_

 _"Proof," Jace said, swallowing._

 _Kaelie dropped her hand from his chest and pulled her cell phone out of her pocket, turning it on and opening a photo. Jace's heartbeat quickened as she pushed the picture in his face, a smirk crawling onto her lips._

 _Jace's heart began to break as he took in the picture. Sure enough, there was Clary, pressed against the lockers by none other then her 'guy best friend', Simon Lewis._

 _"What the fuck," he murmured, glaring at the picture with a mix of anger and hurt. He trusted her, and she repaid him by doing this? He should've saved all the extra relationship and broken up with her a long time ago._

 _"Baby, I would never cheat on you," Kaelie mumbled, attaching her overly-glossed lips to his neck. Normally, he would push her off and leave, but he didn't care to anymore. If Clary could cheat on him and get away with it, so could he._

 _So. Could. He._

 _"Fuck," he mumbled, as Kaelie sucked on his neck. His hands instinctively went to her hips, pulling her closer to him. Her lips trailed up to his, kissing them fiercely. It felt foreign, and Jace hated it, but at the moment he would do anything to get back at Clary. She hurt him, he hurts her. Eye for an eye._

 _Kaelie's hands snaked up to his neck and pulled him closer, and he fell more into the kiss, getting used to the foreign feeling and kissing her harder and fiercer. His hands trailed up and down her body, feeling her curves and her cool, exposed skin. Their eyes were closed, so neither of them saw one specific redhead walk into the room. They definitely heard her._

 _"What the hell!" she shrieked, her eyes taking in the scene before her. She knew that when she got a text from Kaelie that something was up; the girl never texted her. But she didn't think_ this _was happening._

 _Jace and Kaelie broke away, Jace with a hurt expression on his face and Kaelie with a look of triumph. Kaelie attached herself to Jace's side, snaking her arms around his midsection and pulling him close. Jace wanted to pull away and comfort Clary, but he shook it off. She didn't deserve his pity._

 _"What the hell!" Clary screamed again, walking further into the room and glaring at the two. "Jace, what the fuck is your problem? Did you forget we're dating?"_

 _Jace scoffed, furious. "You did! How did it feel, having Simon's lips all over yours? You know, the ones that I thought were mine?"_

 _Clary was confused, pissed, and sad. "What are you_ talking _about, Jace? I don't like Simon, how many times do I have to tell you that?"_

 _Jace sneered at her, throwing her off guard. He took a step forward and Clary stepped back, tears forming in the corners of her eyes. She wanted to snap._

 _"Clary, Kaelie just showed me a picture of you and Simon making out as if your lives depended on it. If you wanted to go be with him you should have told me so I could have saved all the time I wasted in our relationship," Jace spat, clenching his fists. He was so mad. She cheated on him and had the nerve to act like she didn't do anything?_

 _"Jace, you're a dumb ass," Clary snarled. "You honestly believe I would cheat on you with Simon? I can guarantee you that picture is fake; you can ask Simon. The last time we kissed was two years ago, before I even began liking you. Get your egotistical head out of your ass and think for once in your life."_

 _Jace faltered. "What?"_

 _Clary laughed dryly. "Oh, Kaelie forgot to mention that information, huh?" Clary backed away, her hand on the door handle. Jace walked forward, this time grabbing her wrist and pulling her towards him. Clary fought back, yanking her arm so hard Jace was surprised she didn't pop it from the socket._

 _"Leave me alone," she snarled, her voice low and emotionless. "Don't fucking touch me, don't fucking talk to me, we're done, Jace. Obviously if you believe Kaelie over me, we have a problem. Go fuck with your little slut, go believe whatever lies she tells you because obviously she's more important to you then I am."_

 _"Clary, that's-"_

 _"Fuck off," she snarled, turning away and walking out of the room._

 **...**

"I...I can't forgive you," Clary whispered.

Jace's hand fell from her face, and she missed the warmth from it. But she knew she needed to prove a point, so she would have to do without his touches.

"W-What?" he stuttered, stepping away from the chair and almost tripping over the coffee table. He told her the truth, why couldn't she forgive him? Did she not believe him? Did she...

Did she not love him?

"Jace," Clary said, standing up. "I-I can't forgive you, you believe Kaelie over everything I was telling you. You believed a picture that was _photoshopped_ , no matter how many times I told you it was fake."

"But Clary," Jace said, his voice cracking. "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry. I won't do it again, why can't you believe me? Do you hate me?" He sounded like a kid who was getting yelled at by his parents; heartbroken and terrified.

Clary took a deep breath. "I believe you Jace, but I don't believe anything will change. I don't hate you, okay? I just don't think a relationship is best for us right now."

Jace looked down, biting back the tears that were forming in his eyes. He wouldn't cry, he wouldn't cry, _he wouldn't cry_. He looked back up at Clary, one tear sliding down his cheek.

Damn.

"Kiss me one more time."

Clary opened her mouth object, but Jace plowed on. "Please, just kiss me one more time and tell me if you love me or not. Kiss me one more time and tell me if you feel _anything_ at all, just tell me if you think we'll have another shot at some point. Please, Clary. If you don't, I'll walk out of your life forever."

She swallowed. At this point, she had nothing to lose. What was one kiss anyway?

She stepped forward, her eyes trailing up his body before landing on his lips, then his nose, and finally, his golden brown eyes. There was so much emotion in them that she couldn't begin to explain them. She hesitantly leaned forward, attaching her lips to his own. He pushed forward, adding more emotion into the kiss.

Clary didn't want to admit it, but she felt something she never felt before. She felt fireworks exploding behind her eyes as she kissed Jace, something she never felt with anyone else. His hands grasped her hips, making her whole body tingle with anticipation. Her hands ran through his hair, something she used to love to do; still loves to do it.

He was the first one to break away, much to her disappointment. Then she remembered what she had to do. She looked into his hopeful eyes, her heart breaking as she said what she had to say.

"I'm sorry Jace," she whispered, removing her hands from his body.

Jace's eyes widened before they closed off with a blank look. Clary's heart shattered; she hated when he went emotionless.

"You seriously felt nothing in that?" he asked, his voice flat and his eyes expressionless. He backed away, almost like he was scared of her.

Clary shook her. "Jace, I'm-"

"No," he snarled, his hand on the door. "No. You're a fucking liar, Clary. You're lying to yourself. No matter what you say, you can't deny what was in that kiss. You know deep in your heart that you want more." He yanked open the door. "Good luck finding someone who will willingly give it to you."

And he was gone.

* * *

"Clarissa, I love you, but you're an idiot."

Clary knew calling Isabelle wouldn't help her whatsoever, but she needed to talk to someone she trusted. She didn't want her roommates to worry about her when they obviously had better lives to lead. She definitely couldn't talk to Jace, she burned that bridge badly. Her parents were out of the question; they would just want to come out and help her, and Clary couldn't deal with that embarrassment. That left Jonathan, but when Clary gave him a call, it went to voicemail.

Then there was Isabelle.

Clary groaned, falling back on her bed and staring at the ceiling. "I know that, Isabelle. I just don't know what to do!"

"Forgive him!" Isabelle said, as if it was obvious. "I mean, obviously you love him. Just tell him!"

"I cant," Clary croaked. "I told him I didn't feel anything. Isabelle, you should have seen the look on his face when I told him. I wanted to cry, he looked so _dead_. He hates me, he won't believe anything I say past this point. I just don't know what to do."

"Isabelle," a voice said, on Isabelle's side of the phone. It sounded...tired?

"Hold on babe, I'll be there in a minute," Isabelle replied, with a giggle. Clary rolled her eyes; of course. Everyone had a significant other except for her.

"Clarissa, I got to go. Give it a couple days, maybe once classes get started you guys will move on, or maybe you guys will realize you need to stop being petty. I don't know, but I have to go. Love ya!" She hung up, not even waiting for Clary's response.

She dropped her phone onto the bed. She rolled onto her side and let the tears fall. She didn't bother to wipe them away, just let them fall down her face as she quietly sobbed to herself.

Little did she know, the boy she loved was doing the very same thing.

* * *

 **[a/n]:** ah, this was fun to right. hey, after next chapter, we will be halfway through with the story. amazing! :)  
what do you guys think? i really want to know how you guys feel about this story, especially clary's feelings towards jace. i mean, i couldn't let them get back together _that_ easily. but hey, just wait until classes start...(:  
 **drop a review?**

 **10 reviews = my update**

 **xx**

(btw, thanks again for all of the congratulations. i love u guys.)


	5. it's a working project

**[a/n]:** your reviews make me smile so much, i love them so much. y'all are adorable. i love how split you guys are about whether or not Jace and Clary should make up or not. hope you all can enjoy this next chapter. :)  
 **[disclaimer]:** i don't own the characters.

* * *

 **Dream the College Scene  
** "It's better to be unhappy alone then unhappy with someone." -Marilyn Monroe

* * *

Jace sighed as he pulled on a pair of jeans and a gray hoodie. He slipped on his favorite pair of gray Vans and grabbed his bad. He hoisted it over his shoulders and grabbed his meal card, room key, and phone. Jordan had already left when he woke up; probably walked Maia to class.

It was a ten minute walk to his English class, ten minutes too long. It gave him too much time to think about Clary and what happened yesterday.

He knew she was lying. He knew in his heart that she felt something in the kiss. What infuriated him the most was that she won't even tell him how she's feeling or how his story effected her. Everything he told her was the one hundred percent truth. He doesn't think she believes him; even if she did, she's not showing that she cared. Jace knows he was wrong to kiss Kaelie and he wishes he didn't, but telling Clary should be enough to make up for it...right?

Apparently not.

The building to his first class loomed ahead of him, and he could see a bunch of students walking through the front doors and walking out. Thank God he wasn't a part of the body walking out; that's an early class. It was only nine am, so their class must have started at least by 7.

Completely missing the girl with curly hair stepping into the doors, Jace walked towards the door himself. He blended in with the rest of the college students, all moving towards the seats like a school of fish. Jace slid into a seat relatively close to the back. The seat to his right filled with a kid, but the seat to his left remained empty.

"Hello," the other boy greeted, his dark eyes looking into Jace's when he turned his head.

"Hey." The other boy had black hair that spilled onto his forehead like Jordan's and dark eyes. He had pale skin, and from the way he was sitting in his seat, slouched over and legs kicked out in front of him, he was tall like Jace was.

"I'm Sebastian," he said, handing his hand out to shake. Jace held his firmly and shook it once; he hated shaking hands with a passion.

"Jace."

"Don't get too comfortable," a voice scoffed, sliding into the vacant seat next to Jace. Jace and Sebastian looked at the person who just invaded the conversation. Sebastian smirked while Jace rolled her eyes heavily.

Clary.

"What are you taking about?" Jace snapped, annoyed. This was the girl who basically said she wanted him out of her life, so why was she butting into his?

Clary smirked, pulling a pencil out of her bag. "I mean just what I said." She turned to Sebastian, speaking as if Jace wasn't there. "I just meant that you can't get too comfortable with Jacey boy over here. Do that and he may betray you in a way. Say, I don't know, get you kicked out of college or make you flunk."

Sebastian whistled and slapped Jace's shoulder in good nature. "Damn Jace, little hostile aren't ya?"

"Shut the fuck up," Jace said, looking at Clary. "What's your problem? Just so we're clear here, _I_ was the one who wanted to make things work between us. I did tell you the truth when you asked for it and I did want to move forward, so don't treat this like this is all my fault." He didn't care about the crestfallen look on Clary's face; at that point, all Jace wanted to do was get class to start.

"Jace, I-"

"Save it Clary," Jace snapped, facing the front of the class, signaling the end of both conversations. Out of the corner of his eye, Jace could see Clary flop back and slouch in her seat, a sour expression on her face. Too bad.

Jace droned out the professor, thinking about everything except the class at hand. He thought about Clary, he thought about Isabelle, he thought about Alec (who he missed dearly), and he missed his parents. He made a promise to himself that after classes he would get in contact with them again.

"...So now, your partners for this project are up here on the board. Good luck." The professor gestured towards a large poster suspended on the whiteboard. Jace gulped; what project was he talking about?

Sebastian, sensing Jace's confusion, laughed. "It's a short-story project. With our partners we have to write a five chapter story about two characters based on us. So if you and I were partners, we'd write a story based on characters like us. We submit the stories to Mr. Banks, and he'll read them out loud, and we have to guess the partnership that wrote the story. Whoever gets the most right by the end of the week gets no homework for the next week."

Jace nodded, actually beginning to like the project. It actually sounded a lot of fun, depending on who his partner is. Jace glanced to his left; he partially hoped that Clary wasn't his partner and also hoped that she was. He hated his brain sometimes.

"Good news," a voice spoke, belonging to the infamous redhead. "Sebastian, you're my partner. Jace, tell your partner I wish them the best of luck."

Jace sneered at Clary, deciding it was for the best that they weren't partners. She was getting on his nerves anyway.

* * *

Clary sighed as she slipped into the seat next to Sebastian, bringing out her notebook and pencil. She had mixed feelings towards Sebastian; part of her really wanted to use him to her advantage and make Jace jealous, but the smarter half of her didn't want to waste time with the boy. Deciding on the latter, she took a deep breath.

"Okay, so what do you want your character to look like?" Clary started, writing his name on the first line and underlining.

"Black hair, dark eyes," Sebastian said, subtly leaning forward so that their knees were touching. Clary really hoped he wasn't looking to get anything out of this partnership because she wasn't looking to give anything. This was simply a school partnership; her heart belonged to the boy with golden blonde hair who seemed a little _too_ cozy with the girl he was partnered with.

Of freaking course.

Clary turned her attention back to Sebastian. After writing down what he'd said, she gnawed on the eraser for a couple seconds. "Name?"

"Jon."

"Age? Relationship status? Family?"

"Nineteen. Single but hoping to change. Dad, mom, single child." Clary didn't miss his smirk and the nudge of his knee at his relationship status. Nonetheless, she wrote down what he was saying. She then skipped a few lines and started filling out her own information, ignoring his breathing on her shoulder.

She never wanted to be partnered up with Jace more. She snuck a glance at him; he just had to place his arm on the chair of his partner and he just had to lean over her shoulder when he talked. Ugh.

When Clary finished writing, she handed the notebook to Sebastian to read over. He read over her information with a smile. As he opened his mouth to say something, the bell rang, signaling time for class to be over. Had the two hours really went by _that_ fast?

As Clary stood up with her small backpack, Sebastian grabbed her wrist, his grip a bit too tight. Clary looked down at him, startled with his sudden touch. She didn't feel any sparks flying up her arm as she would if Jace was holding her wrist.

"What?" she asked, confused.

"You, me, dinner on Friday at the dining hall. We could work on the project a little more; after all, it is due next Monday and we have a lot to work on." Sebastian smiled, standing up as well. He towered over Clary, intimidating her the slightest.

She thought it over, chewing on her bottom lip. She really didn't want to date anyone other then Jace; no matter what she told herself, she knew she would never really get over him. She stole another glance at him, and he was smiling and laughing with his partner. Inside, Clary felt her insides twist as he gave her a hug before walking out of the classroom.

"Sure, that sounds great." Clary faked a smile, her heart shattering as she thought about Jace moving on quicker then her.

* * *

Jace groaned inwardly as he watched Sebastian and Clary talk, his hand gripping her wrist. He wouldn't be so uptight if _she just shook it off of her_. But she didn't, so Jace was beginning to get upset. Clary wasn't his, per say, but he was so much better than Sebastian. He watched as they had a small conversation, ending with a smile from Clary that looked genuine to him.

Figures she would move on before he could.

"Hey, buddy," his partner said, laughing lightly as she nudged his shoulder. "How ya doing?"

Jace attempted to smile but it was obvious she wasn't having it. "Sorry Camille, it's just that...Ah, never mind, it's no big deal."

Camille nudged his shoulder again. "Oh come on, I can see it in your eyes. Who is it, the redhead you sat next to before you found our partners?" She clicked her tongue. "Ah, love. Why don't you fight for her? Obviously you love her and can't stand to see her with anyone else, so why don't you take back what's yours?"

Jace sighed, frustrated. He leaned closer to Camille, not wanting anyone around them to hear. "I did fight for her, but she didn't want it, so I told her I was done, but I didn't think she would move on that quickly. I'm so frustrated."

Camille glanced at her watch. "Hey, I got to bolt, I have lunch with my boyfriend in an hour, but here's my number. If you text me, I can help you get her back. I can see that you both still love each other, it won't be _that_ hard to get you two back together." She gathered her belongings, grinning widely at Jace. "It'll be alright blondie, I won't let you down."

Jace laughed for the first time all week. He leaned in for a friendly hug, nothing more. She squeezed him back before walking out the room, Jace right behind her. Once on the sidewalk, they went separate ways. Jace pulled his phone out of his pocket as he walked down the sidewalk, not really heading anywhere particular. He had two text messages and one he needed to send.

 **Jordan:** Hey bud, want to go off campus and get some lunch? Maia has a class and I met some friends, down?  
 **Alec:** Hey J, haven't talked to you in what feels like years. Interested in coming back for the Fourth of July?

Jace texted Jordan back, saying he'll meet him in the parking lot outside of their dorms, the place Jordan has his car backed. His thumbs flew across the screen as he typed up a response to Alec.

 **Jace:** Yes, I'll book a flight when I get access to a computer. You better have a room made up for me when I get to town. :)

Alec immediately responded.

 **Alec:** You know me, I'll have it ready.

Before Jace could forget, he quickly texted Camille.

 **Jace:** Hey partner, just getting your number in my phone and vice versa. :)  
 **Camille:** Hey J, all done. Dinner with me and a couple friends tonight at the hall?  
 **Jace:** Sure. I'll meet you outside your dorm. Which dorm are you in?  
 **Camille:** Same one as you, but I'm Room 2618A, but we can meet in the lobby.  
 **Jace:** Cool, what time?  
 **Camille:** Seven.  
 **Jace:** Done.

Jace was slipping his phone into his pocket just as he bumped into someone. His arms automatically flew out, catching the other person before they could fall to the ground. Once again, he was staring into green orbs.

"Deja vu, no?" Jace smirked, helping Clary to his feet.

She rolled her eyes but gave him a small smile. "Thank you."

He laughed. "Hey, you finally said it."

She furrowed her eyebrows and he ignored how cute she looked. "What do you mean?"

He nudged her shoulder, beginning to walk again. She stumbled to catch up. "I mean, the first time I caught you, you didn't say thank you. You just said thank you!"

Clary laughed, bumping him with her shoulder. "Ha, way to notice. Anyways, do you have dinner plans tonight?"

Jace raised an eyebrow; why was she asking? "Yeah, actually. I'm going to dinner with Camille and a few of her friends."

They turned the corner, the dorms a couple blocks down. "Camille?" Clary asked, looking forward.

"Yeah, my project partner." He chewed on the inside of his mouth before asking, "Do you want to join? I'm sure she won't mind."

Clary smiled slightly. "Um, yeah, sure. Would she mind? I don't want to-"

Jace held his hand up, signaling for her to stop. "It'll be fine, I'll just let her know. See you tonight, seven in the lobby." Before Clary could respond, he walked away, pulling his phone out and texting Camille.

 **Jace:** Bringing a +1, you'll never guess who.  
 **Camille:** Clary, and I know I guessed right. See you both there. :)

* * *

 **[a/n]:** thoughts on the jace/clary exchanges? got to love the bipolar clace, no? i love writing them. once again, thanks for the lovely reviews, i'm in love with reading them. you guys are simply _amazing_. :)  
 **drop a review?**

 **12 reviews = my update**

 **xx**

(btw, sorry for any spelling/grammatical errors. too lazy and hungry to go back and check!)


	6. i left my love at the dorm

**[a/n]:** holy crap, your reviews are literally the highlight of my day. I just woke up  & ran to my computer to read the reviews omg. once again i love the amount of opinion there is in the reviews, it makes me so happy to read because i love when i write something controversial. enjoy this chapter!  
 **[disclaimer]:** CC owns the characters.

* * *

 **Dream the College Scene  
** "Love is rare. Life is strange. Nothing lasts & people change." -Marilyn Monroe

* * *

Jace stepped out of the elevator, running a hand through his hair. Thank god he texted Camille; he had no idea what to wear prior to her help. With her advice, he was dressed in jeans, a white collar shirt, and Vans. He looked good, to say the least. He checked the watch on his wrist for the time; six fifty.

When Jace looked up, his heartbeat sped up to the max and his breath actually caught in his throat. Clary was standing alone in the lobby, and she was beautiful.

She was wearing black skinny jeans that made her legs look longer then they really were, and a white top that showed her curves and a bit of her chest. On her feet where white sandals. Her hair was still curly but tamed, and whatever makeup she was wearing really made her green eyes stand out.

Who's Kaelie again?

"H-Hi Clary." Curse his stutter. He mentally facepalmed as he walked up to the short redhead.

She smiled at him, visibly relaxing. "Hey, I thought I was way too early."

He laughed. "Nah, Camille and her boyfriend should be down in a minute or two."

Jace thought he saw Clary perk up a little bit. "Boyfriend?"

He raised an eyebrow and nodded. "Yeah, her boyfriend. She told me about him during class today, she had lunch with him."

Clary nodded but didn't say anything. Jace admired the slight smile on her face before turning around, hearing the elevator ding open. Out walked Camille, her hand in the grasp of her boyfriend's.

Jace had to admit that Camille looked good, but not as good as Clary. She had on a navy blue sundress and gold flip flops, her blonde hair tied up in a messy but cute bun.

"Hey Camille," Jace said, unsure of how to greet her in the presence of her boyfriend. She rolled her eyes, detaching her hand from her boyfriend's and hugging Jace. He laughed into her shoulder before pulling back.

"Hi, you must be Clary," Camille said, hugging the redhead as well. Clary blushed slightly, confused as to how Camille seemed to know a bit about her.

"Hello," Clary said, smiling shyly.

"Oh, where are my manners?" Camille laughed. "This is my boyfriend, Jackson." He nodded his head towards Jace and shook Clary's hand, letting go almost immediately after they shook, much to Jace's (and Camille's) satisfaction. He was as loyal as a puppy.

"So who are we meeting for dinner?" Clary asked, the four of them walking out of the lobby together. Jackson and Camille walked closely together, hands intertwined and shoulders bumping into each other while Jace and Clary walked close but not too close together.

"Just some of my friends," Camille said. "You'll like them, I hope. They're normally very nice, but if they get a little alcohol and food going through them they get very sarcastic."

Jace laughed. "Hey, I'm used to sarcastic; it's my second language." Everyone laughed.

"If only they knew how true that was," Clary muttered. Jace looked at her, wondering if it was a dig or a joke. She was smiling with her hands up in surrender. "Joking," she whispered.

He nudged her shoulder and laughed, then focused on the sidewalk so he could ignore the tingles shooting up and down his arm through the touch. Did she feel it too?

"Crap," Clary muttered, stopping in her tracks.

"What?" Jace asked, confused.

"I left my meal card in my room." She facepalmed. "I'm so frustrated."

Jace laughed lightly, trying to lighten the mood. "Hey, it's okay, want me to walk you back and get it?"

"Hey, what's the hold up back there?" Camille teased, stopping and looking at the two.

"I left my meal card up in my room and Jace offered to walk me back to get it. Is it okay if we catch up with you guys in about ten minutes?" Clary asked, flushing in embarrassment.

Jackson grinned. "Of course, we'll just tell everyone you're on your way." He subtly winked at Jace. "Go get that _card_."

Jace facepalmed in his head.

* * *

Clary slipped into her room, fumbling around for the light. Maia was in her room studying, and Helen had a class. Clary made Jace wait in the doorway as she looked around for her card. It was in the pocket of her bag, where she left it after lunch. She quickly pulled it out and stepped back into the hallway with Jace.

They walked towards the elevator in comfortable silence, something she thought was odd about them. Here they were, suffering through love troubles, yet whenever they were quiet, it wasn't awkward at all. It was almost less tense then their conversations.

"You look good," he mumbled, catching off guard. Her head snapped to the left and she smiled at him.

"Thanks."

Back to silence, this one slightly more tense then the other one but not awkward...yet. They went down the elevator, which stopped on the second floor. The doors opened, revealing another person.

Sebastian.

Jace visibly tensed while Clary's insides began to shake. She felt uncomfortable around Sebastian. She had no idea how she would make it through Friday night with him.

"Hey Clary, Jace," he said, stepping into the elevator.

"Hi," Clary said, shortly. She shuffled to the left, not liking how close he was getting to her. She pressed the button to close the doors, and they slowly but surely shut. The silence in the elevator was no longer comfortable; more like tense and stifling.

"So Clary, we still on for Friday?" Sebastian asked, and Clary could just hear the taunting in his voice. The doors opened, and the trio of students walked out.

"Yes, we are," Clary mumbled, really wishing the answer was no.

"What's Friday?" Jace asked, nonchalantly. Clary realized just how far he was walking away from them. When they were with Camille and Jackson, she could've moved in the slightest and be touching him, but now she would have to move a couple steps over to touch him.

Damn Sebastian.

"Our date," Sebastian said, with an obvious smirk. Clary rolled her eyes.

"It's not a date," she whispered, very quietly.

Sebastian grabbed his wrist. "How is it _not_ a date?" he snapped.

"Hands off," Jace said, stepping closer. It wasn't a lot, but it was enough to make Sebastian let go and for Clary to step towards Jace again.

"Sorry, kind of snapped." Sebastian held his hands up and stepped a tiny step away. They all turned the corner of the sidewalk; was he going to the dining hall too?

"Yeah, tighten yourself together and stop snapping," Jace said, protectively. Clary remained quiet, but didn't bother stepping away from Jace.

"Yeah, yeah, chill out Jace."

"Sebastian-"

"Guys," Clary snapped, tired of their arguing. "Sebastian, please stop. We are still on for Friday but it's not a date, we're just working on the project, okay? And where are you going?"

"Jackson invited me to dinner," Sebastian said. Both Jace and Clary stopped walking, almost simultaneously.

"What?" Jace asked, looking at Sebastian like he was something he pulled off the bottom of his shoe.

"Can you not listen?" Sebastian snapped. "Jackson and his girlfriend invited me to dinner in the dining hall, that's where I'm going now."

"You've got to be kidding me," Clary muttered, walking past Sebastian and towards the front doors of the dining hall. With Jace and Sebastian jogging to catch up with her, she handed the person her card, letting him swipe it and hand it back. She walked into the table section, looking for Camille. She easily found her at the back of the room.

"I see you guys have met," Camille said with a laugh, as the trio walked up to her with somber expressions.

"I hate you," Jace muttered, taking the seat next to Camille. Clary slid into the vacant seat by him, while Sebastian took the last open seat across the table from her.

Camille snickered and punched his shoulder playfully. "Shut up Jace, everyone loves me."

Clary glanced around the dining hall, itching to get up and get some food. She didn't know any of these people and she would feel more comfortable with something to do.

Standing up, without announcing what she was about to do, Clary began walking towards the buffet and walking down the line, getting a bowl of chicken alfredo, a bread stick, and some water. When she headed back to the table, Jace was in the midst of snatching fries off of Camille's plate. The redhead slid into her seat, rolling her eyes at Jace's antics.

"Yes, bread!" he cheered, grabbing her bread stick.

She tried to pull it back, in turn breaking the bread in half. Jace smirked in triumph, biting down on the bread before grimacing.

"What the hell kind of crap is this?" he asked, tossing the bread back onto her plate. She smirked, knowing how much he hated garlic bread.

"Garlic bread," she said, innocently.

Jace rolled his eyes before standing up. "I'm going to get some food worth _eating_." He walked away as she laughed.

"So, Clary, how are you and Jace?" Camille asked, making Clary jump as she slid into Jace's seat.

"What do you mean?" Clary asked, stuffing her mouth with chicken alfredo so she would have time to think of an answer to whatever Camille was about to ask.

"I know he loves you." Clary choked. "It's so obvious, just by the way he looks at you. You should have seen his eyes light up when you walked back to the table. It was _adorable_."

"Please," Clary scoffed. "He doesn't love me."

Camille laughed. "We barely know each other so this may come off as rude but you truly are a naive person. He's in love with you, Clary, it's so obvious. He looks at you the way I look at Jackson or how Jackson looks at food."

"Hey!" Jackson protested, laughing at Camille. She smiled back at him and kissed his cheek before turning back to Clary.

"Why don't you give him another chance?"

"Because he doesn't need another one," Clary said. "If you knew what he did to me, you wouldn't give him another chance either."

Camille faked a pout. "Tragic, a little love mishap? Nothing the Master of Love can't handle." She giggled. "Come back to my dorm tonight, you and I can discuss ways to get your love train back on track."

"Love train?" Clary asked, as Jace came back to the table. Camille winked at Clary before sliding back into her own seat. Jace set his plate on the table, and Clary took in what he had.

"Really?" she asked, judging what he had to eat.

"Hey!" he said, defensively. "I like what I like." Apparently he liked pizza, fries, Lucky Charms cereal and root beer.

Clary shook her head, going back to her chicken alfredo with a laugh.

* * *

 **[a/n]:** i love camille in this. she's funny to me, i love her. what do u guys think of her?  & how about that sebastian/clary/jace love triangle, no? so entertaining. and in the next chapter (chapter 7! so close to the end!), we get to find out some things about isabelle & sebastian/clary development.  
 **drop a review?**

 **15 reviews = my update**

 **xx**

(btw, once again, thanks for the reviews, and truthfully i like putting random things in parenthesis right here, i love the way it looks, ahaha!)


	7. hands off what's mine

**[a/n]:** so happy right now, not even sure why. rereading y'alls (i'm not even from texas why do i say y'all) reviews make me ten times happier then i already am, i'm in love with you guys but i'm sad to say there's only a few chapters left, this is a tenshot afterall. however, i do have another story planned, i am in love with the plot.

this chapter is a very dramatic chapter, but i really needed to push the climax and i do believe my descriptions of the characters make this a little more realistic. I hope you guys like it, i know i can't please everyone, but still, enjoy!

 **[disclaimer]:** CC owns characters.

* * *

 **Dream the College Scene  
** "It's all make believe, isn't it?" -Marilyn Monroe

* * *

"Jace!" Clary screamed, sprinting from her dorms, away from the boy behind her. She was terrified as she ran through the parking lot, not daring taking her eyes from the blonde boy standing by his car. She ran as fast as she could, her arms pumping at her sides and her feet carrying her on the gravel.

"Clary? Clary!" he yelled, taking a step forward.

She flew into his arms, sobbing and shaking and blabbering at once. "J-Jace, he's here, he's coming, he won't leave me alone and he tried to, he t-tried to-"

"Clary, what did who do?" Jace asked, holding her at arm's length, his own hands gripping her arms. He felt it in his heart that this Friday wasn't going to end well.

"Sebastian," she sobbed out, shaking in his grasp. "He t-tried to r-rape me!"

 **...then...**

 _Clary opened the door, already dreading what was about to happen. She truly felt that this wasn't going to end well, but she wouldn't let her grade suffer because she had a stupid fear. It was stupid, right? All Sebastian had done (all week, might she add) was grab her wrist forcefully, or make digs about changing his relationship status, or touch her in the most random times and the most random spots, or just act possessive over her._

 _Right. Definitely a stupid fear._

 _She swallowed as she peered at the guy standing in her doorway, hating that she had to look up to see his face. He smiled at her, and it seemed genuine enough, so she let him in._

 _"Hi," she spoke, shutting the door but not locking it. If she needed to make a fast escape, she definitely didn't need a lock slowing her down. Precautions, precautions._

 _"Hello, Clary," he said, easily sliding onto the couch. Maia and Jordan were off campus on a date, and Clary was pretty sure Helen was at a frat party. Hopefully with Aline; Clary really didn't want to hear a sob story about Helen getting drunk and kissing someone else. She had her own drama._

 _"Where do you want to start?" Clary asked, sitting next to Sebastian and opening her notebook. She tapped the pencil against her lips as she pretended not to notice the way he slung his arm over the back of the couch or how he slid closer to her._

 _Clary really wanted someone, anyone really (preferably Jace) to walk into the room and interrupt what was happening. However, Jace was off campus buying room supplies from the nearby department store and her roommates were busy. Clary had to fend for herself._

 _"I would love to start in the bedroom," Sebastian joked, with a suggestive wink. Clary ignored it; maybe if she ignored everything that was meant as a sexual gesture, he would get the hint._

 _"Hilarious," she said, her voice as flat as Kansas. "Anyways, so far, we have characteristics for our characters, but we need to make a story line. Any ideas? If you give a good one, I can go off of that one."_

 _"Let's say our characters have a friends with benefits," Sebastian suggested, his tone deep and seductive. Clary's heart dropped but she listened to him anyway._

 _"And the story could start off with both our characters in a club, grinding against each other as a song with an amazing beat plays," Sebastian said, and Clary couldn't do anything as he pushed against her, making her drop her notebook and pencil and fall back on the couch. His hand cupped her cheek, and she slapped it away, but he grabbed her hand and pinned it above her head, pressing his body above hers. He was too heavy for her._

 _She couldn't ignore the terror rising in her chest._

 _"Sebastian, get off," she said, forcefully. Clary tried to kick him off of her, but to no avail._

 _"Sorry baby, I know if I do that you'll run to your little boyfriend." Sebastian smirked, his face closing in on hers. "I can't have that, baby. From the second I laid eyes on you, I knew you would be mine; I would make you mine. I can't do that with little Jace in the way. Everyone can see that you love him, and I can't have that, baby."_

 _Clary spat in his face, and he sneered at her, his grip on her wrists tightening so hard that she began to lose feeling in her hands. She tried to kick him again, but it didn't work._

 _"Let me go," she begged, fear swimming through her brain as she looked in the eyes of a psychotic rapist. "Please, Sebastian."_

 _"I'll have you saying please all night, baby," he cooed. He dropped his hand from hers as he held her face, giving her the escape she needed. She pushed him off of her and ran from the couch, yanking open the door and running into the hallway. She ran towards the stairs, knowing the elevator would cut off her escape. She heard Sebastian behind her, running after her as she pounded down the flights of stairs._

 _Ignoring his shouts and the stares from people in the lobby, Clary ran out the front doors and towards the parking lot, looking for a familiar face. She saw him, standing in the parking lot, his hands tucked into his pockets as he walked back to the dorms._

 _"Jace!"_

 **...now...**

"Where is he?" Jace asked, his eyes holding anger and something else Clary couldn't place, but at the moment that wasn't her immediate focus.

"H-He's running a-after me!" she stuttered, fear racking through her whole body. Was this a panic attack? All she knew was she needed to get away from Sebastian and Jace was the only one who could help her get away from him.

"Clary, baby, why'd you run away after our little project?" Sebastian asked, walking up on Jace and Clary as if he didn't just run after her. Clary yelped, jumping away from Sebastian and behind Jace, nervous about what would happen.

"Leave her alone," Jace snarled, making Sebastian stop in his tracks. "Leave her the fuck alone, you crazy, good-for-nothing rapist."

Sebastian laughed loudly. "You really believe I was trying to rape her? You should have heard her Jace; she was all 'Please Sebastian' and I was telling her it wasn't a good idea but she just _put_ herself onto me, I was so confused!"

Clary's heart raced quickly as she listened to what Sebastian was saying. Would Jace believe him over her?

"Hilarious," Jace said, his voice in monotone. "You're a creep, and I can report you right now and get you kicked out of this college just like that. Last time I checked, colleges don't like rapists roaming their campus."

"You can't do that," Sebastian tried, but Clary could hear the slight waver in his voice. "You have no proof."

"I don't need to have proof," Jace said, his voice holding all the confidence. "All I have to do is take Clary down the admissions office, have her tell the story of what really happened, and then your ass is gone. Who are they going to believe? The girl who got here on a scholarship for a 4.0 GPA and excels in all her classes and would never hurt a fly, or the boy who got in because he had to pay, has a history of harassing students, and even talks back to professors?"

Sebastian swallowed. "I-I-"

"Exactly." Jace walked forward, until he was in arms' length of Sebastian. Clary watched as he grabbed Sebastian by the collar and slammed him against the back of an SUV. Jace glared at Sebastian with so much hate and anger that Clary herself was scared for the other boy.

"Don't ever touch her again," Jace snarled, gripping his collar tightly. "If I ever see you near her, I will personally beat you so hard you won't be able to walk for a long, long, _long_ time. If I ever hear her name come out of your mouth, I will rip you to pieces. Am I understood?"

Sebastian nodded quickly, his hair flopping around in his face. Jace pushed Sebastian away from him alone, making his head slam against the back of the SUV. Jace grabbed Clary's hand and pulled her away from the other boy, gripping her hand and making her feel secure. He led her up to his room, opening his dorm room and leading her inside.

Clary was thankful that Maia and Jordan were away for the night. She didn't want to explain what just happened or why she was currently crying.

"Don't cry," Jace whispered, wiping her tears away with the pad of his thumb. He pulled the smaller girl into a hug, wrapping his arms around her securely. She cried into chest for a couple minutes, soaking his shirt with her salty tears.

"It's okay," he mumbled, repeatedly, letting Clary release her feelings about Sebastian into his chest. Jace didn't do anything, hugging her tightly and occasionally kissing the top of her head.

"Let's get you to bed, okay?" he suggested, leading Clary towards his bedroom. She nodded her head, holding his hand as he led her towards his bedroom. He pushed open the door and led her to the bed, tucking her under the covers. Clary's red hair fanned out of the pillow, and what seemed like seconds after her head hit the pillow, the events of the night caught up with her and her eyes shut and she was sleeping quietly.

Jace's hand ran up and down her cheek, smoothing over her pale white skin. He leaned down and kissed her temple, his lips lingering longer then they should have. He touched his forehead to the spot he kissed, not wanting to leave her alone for the night.

"I love you."

* * *

 **[a/n]:** hm, not my best. but i'm having a weird sort of writer's block and i'm really distracted right now. really hope you guys enjoyed this chapter, i kind of liked the ending and i kind of didn't, i'm really hesitant about uploading this chapter because i really want it to flow with the story and i think it does, in a way. the next chapter will be pretty interesting, i'll guarantee that.  
 **drop a review?**

 **20 reviews = my update**

 **xx**

(here i am with another pointless add-on. haha! really hope you guys enjoy this chapter, i'm nervous about the reviews!)


	8. boarding the flight of heartbreak

**[a/n]:** I'M SO SORRY FOR BEING CRAP AT UPDATES, IT'S NOT BECAUSE I'VE GIVEN UP BUT I HAD NOOOO TIME. I started high school and I have practice every day after school & on the weekends I have tournaments and games and blah I've just had no time, so I'm here with as good as an update I can give. :)  
 **[disclaimer]:** CC owns the characters.

* * *

 **Dream the College Scene  
** "If you can't handle my worst, you ain't getting my best." -Marilyn Monroe

* * *

Clary woke up, three words repeating themselves in her head. She sat up, groggy, disoriented, and needing to go to the bathroom. She stood up and shuffled to the bathroom, not at all prepared for what was waiting for her.

* * *

Jace wiped his eyes, the back of his hands wet. He looked in the mirror, his eyes watery and rimmed with red. His face was splotchy and he cheeks were tear stained. No matter how many times he wiped away his tears, more kept coming and coming. He didn't know why he was breaking down, he just knew he was bound for a breakdown soon and it's apparent that now was that time.

He looked away from the mirror, sliding onto the edge of the toilet seat. He put his head in his hands and tried to take deep breaths, wanting nothing more then to calm down.

Scratch that. He wanted Clary. He wanted her, he _needed_ her. Jace wanted to feel her curly red tresses as she lay next to him in his bed and just talked about whatever was on her mind. He wanted to feel her small body pressed against his as he kissed her repeatedly. Jace wanted to hear her laugh and see her smile and feel her kisses and smell her scent and taste her lips. He wanted her.

More tears came as Jace realized he would never have her again. He fucked up what he had with Clary, which was quite possibly the best three years he'd ever spent with someone. If Jace could have anything in the world, it would be to go back to the day that he kissed Kaelie. He would shove the slut away from him and run to find Clary.

At this point, the tears blurred his vision so badly that when he looked up he saw a distorted image of curly hair and bright green eyes. He shook his head and blinked rapidly, trying to clear the hallucination from his mind. But it wouldn't go away.

"Stop," he whispered, pushing away whatever was trying to wrap their limbs around him. "Stop, please," he begged.

"Jace," a voice whispered, tightening their arms around his body.

"Clary," he whimpered. The redhead wouldn't leave his thoughts.

"Jace, listen to me," she mumbled, pulling him up and into a hug, despite their size difference. Jace continued to weep, tucking his face into the crook of her neck and letting more tears fall. Any other time, Jace would have been mortified at his vulnerability, but now he just wanted someone to comfort him.

"Jace, it'll be okay," she cooed, hugging him tightly. "Why are you crying, love?"

Jace pulled away, wiping his eyes and taking deep breaths. "I'm sorry Clary. I'm so sorry."

"You don't have to apologize for crying."

Jace shook his head. "I'm not just apologizing for that. I'm sorry I cheated on you with Kaelie. I'm sorry I left without even trying to fix it with you. I'm sorry that I didn't come back for you even though I promised I would. I'm sorry that I didn't run after you in the hallway, the day I kept you from falling. I'm sorry that I kissed you and yelled at you afterwards. I'm sorry that I let you alone in the arms of that bastard last night. I'm sorry I told you I love you when you don't love me back and when you probably don't want anything to do with me. I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry."

* * *

Clary listened to Jace's apology, debating what she should do next. Act like it didn't mean anything? Kiss him? Leave? Cry with him? She'd never seen Jace so heartbroken, she had no idea what to do.

"Jace," she whispered, wrapping her arms around him even tighter. She rested her head against his chest, inhaling his scent. It was much stronger than the bed, but she wasn't complaining.

"I'm sorry," he kept whispering, his own arms wrapped around her figure.

"Let's go lay down," Clary suggested, tugging on his arms and pulling him towards the door. She led the broken boy out of the bathroom and into the bedroom, pulling back the covers and sliding under them, bringing Jace with her.

His arms instinctively wrapped around her stomach, pulling her towards him and causing her back to press against his front. She lay her head on the pillow, listening to his calm breathing. Looks like she did enough to get him to stop crying so much. She just wanted him to be okay.

Clary wanted to tell him she forgave he. She wanted to tell him that she loved him more then he could ever love her. She wanted to forget the past and believe that he would never harm her again and he would keep her from all the danger in the world. Clary just wanted to be Jace's girl again.

She didn't know what was stopping her from opening her mouth and spitting at the three little words with so much meaning. Clary's mouth was dry and her voice was caught in her throat as she continued to try to open up and talk to him and tell him just how she really felt about him.

"Jace," she whispered.

He was asleep.

* * *

Clary slipped into her college calculus class, already dreading it. It was going on nine am, and she wanted nothing more then to be snuggled up with Jace in his room. She'd sent him a quick text on her way out, not wanting him to wake up stressed or upset that she wasn't there.

Clary slid into a seat at the back of the room, pulling out a pencil and another notebook for the class. She scribbled on the back of the cardboard, drawing loops and lines and squiggles just to keep herself occupied. Ten minutes after she arrived, the professor walked in and class began.

When the hour and a half long course was over, Clary exited the room and checked her phone, which seemed to continue to buzz over and over throughout the period. She had at least ten missed text messages, seven missed phone calls, and three voicemails.

Most were from Isabelle. Three of the text messages were from Jace. She opened those instead of Isabelle's messages.

 **Jace:** Got you text.  
 **Jace:** We need to talk.  
 **Jace:** My dorm, tonight? Please.

Clary took a deep breath, deciding not to text him. She would make up her mind later. Putting her phone back into her pocket, she began to walk around campus. She looked around the areas, taking in the scenery. The college campus was a lot prettier then she'd ever realized.

Clary smiled to herself as she sat on a bench in the middle of the campus quad, pulling her long forgotten sketchbook out of her backpack. Completely forgetting that Jace was waiting for her response or that Isabelle had spammed her with so many important messages, Clary began to do something she hadn't done since the night Jace left her.

She began to draw.

* * *

It wasn't until after dinner at the dining hall that Clary checked her phone again. She sent a quick text to Jace, letting him know that she was on her way up to his dorm. After sending the text, Clary smiled. She felt truly happy, for once in a long time. She was about to go make up with Jace and confess her love for him, and she'd just had an amazing dinner with her roommates, whom she was finally growing a connection with. Life was good.

"Oh!" Clary gasped to herself, turning her phone on again. Isabelle! Isabelle had spammed her earlier that day, but in the heat of the moment, Clary had forgotten. She quickly opened her messages, a smile still on her face. Isabelle was probably ready to catch up, and Clary was more then happy to oblige. However, reading her messages wiped away the smile on Clary's face.

 **Isabelle:** Clary, I'm having problems here at college, I really need your help, I need my best friend.  
 **Isabelle:** Clary, I know we've been drifting but I'm not okay right now.  
 **Isabelle:** Please, I really need help.  
 **Isabelle:** Clary, please I need you to contact me, I'm going to do something stupid tonight if you don't.  
 **Isabelle:** ):  
 **Isabelle:** I don't want to even be alive anymore, Clary please help me I'm so sad right now.  
 **Isabelle:** I tried): don't be mad at me when you find out what I did, but I couldn't handle it. I love you always.

Clary's heart began racing and her hands began to tremble as she listened to the three voicemails Isabelle had left her.

"Clary," Isabelle sobbed. "I need you. I'm so unhappy right now, I feel like shit and I just feel so worthless and no one here will help me, everyone thinks I'm stupid for falling in love with him and no one here wants to even attempt to get to know what happened. Everyone knew he was sick and told me that it was just a matter of time but Clary, I just can't right now. I really need you!"

"Oh my god," Clary whispered, halting in her tracks. She played the next voicemail.

"Clary, god damnit, turn on your phone! I fucking need someone to talk to you, if you're off screwing around with Jace then I'll be even madder and sadder then I am now. That's not fair, you can't drop me for him, we're sisters! Come on, Clary, I need you so much right now." Clary could hear Isabelle's sniffles and her cries.

"Iz," she said, playing the final voicemail from her best friend.

This one sounded hysterical.

"Clary! I fucking can't anymore! I'm so done living her, I hate this campus, I hate these people, and I hate that he's not here anymore! You're living a much better life without me, I can tell by the way you don't text me anymore, I can tell by the way our calls get shorter and shorter. I-I just can't anymore. I miss him so much but he's gone and he's n-never going to come b-back," Isabelle sobbed. "Please Clary, save me from what I'm about to do."

Clary broke out into a run as she dialed Isabelle's number. She bolted towards her dorm, sprinting up the stairs and praying for Isabelle to answer. The phone rang and rang as Clary completely bypassed Jace's dorm room and flew into her own. The dial tone stopped, signaling that Isabelle didn't pick up.

Clary kept calling Isabelle while she hastily threw clothes and shoes and other necessities into a small backpack. She zipped it shut and slung it onto her shoulders, grabbing her wallet and zipping out of her room. The dial tone cut away on the third ring, and Clary breathed a sigh of relief when she heard breathing on the other end.

"Isabelle?" Clary shouted, jogging down the stairs. She ran out the lobby and towards her car, ripping her keys from her pocket and pressing the unlock button an unnecessary amount of times.

"H-hey Clar-ry!" a voice said on the other side. Clary swallowed in fright. Isabelle was drunk.

"Isabelle!" Clary slid into the drivers' seat and tossed her bag into the back, starting her car and haphazardly backing out of the parking lot. "Where are you? What are you doing?"

"I'm above da ceiling," Isabelle slurred, laughing tipsily. "Wha's wrong, Clary? Why ya sound so scared?"

"Isabelle, get off the roof," Clary said, speeding down the freeway, towards the airport. "I'm on my way to get to you, I need you to stay safe for me, can you do that for me?"

Isabelle laughed again, and Clary heard fumbling on the other side of the line. "I mean, shure, I don't know why-y you're on your way to c-come get me, I'm perfectly fine!" She drew out the last word.

"Isabelle, please get off the roof and stop drinking."

There was a shatter of glass on the other end and a very tipsy laugh from Isabelle. "Whoops, there goes dat bottle! I'll just lay here till ya get here, Clarissa. But hurry, the road below looks like a great trampoline!"

Clary ended the phone call as she parked her car in the parking lot of the airport. She bolted inside, running past other people in a hurry and annoyed looking adults as she ran for the gate that would get her to Washington.

* * *

Almost three hours later, Clary was running up the stairs of the dorm Isabelle was staying in. She passed confused residents and startled maids and pushed herself faster and faster up the stairs that seemed to never end.

"Isabelle!" Clary cried, bursting onto the rooftop. She looked around, frantically searching for her intoxicated best friend. She found her in a heap, very close to the edge.

"Is that you, Clarissa?" Isabelle slurred, her body moving as she struggled to face her friend. "Is that you?"

Clary ran to her friend and pulled her away from the edge of the roof, not stopping until they were in the center of the square rooftop. She leaned down and pulled her friend into a hug, comforting her.

"He's dead," Isabelle sobbed, gripping Clary's body in her own. "He's dead, he's dead, he's dead!"

Clary had no idea who the he was or why Isabelle was so torn apart, but she didn't say anything. She just let Isabelle cry to her heart's content.

* * *

 **[a/n]:** ah, only two chapters left, but you guys will definitely love them. i know this seemed fast paced, but it's like i said, i need to rush the climax to end the story how i want. i kid you not, you guys will _love_ the ending, it'll be so amazing, in my opinion.

once again, sorry for the wait, i hope this chapter helps out. please leave reviews, i love reading them, plus they motivate me to write faster(;

 **drop a review?**

 **25 reviews = my update**

 **xx**

(so after i finish this tenshot, i'm going to start another story. would you guys rather have a story based off of...

\- a MI character being kidnapped but falling in love with their captor  
\- the TMI characters being gang members  
\- another clace fanfic about love and heartbreak?

please let me know in the review, i have ideas for all three and i want to know which one you guys would most love to read!)


End file.
